The future of computing is cloud-based. One of the biggest steps you can take to modernize your current systems is deploying them to the cloud, but there isn’t just one way to do it. You have several cloud deployment models available to choose from. These are specific configurations of environment parameters that determine how you’ll manage your data and organize your resources. Parameters will include things like storage size or level of security.
Deployment models vary depending on several factors, including where the infrastructure will be located, who has access to it and who controls it. When you begin the process of choosing the type that works best for your organization, you should focus on what you want to get out of your cloud infrastructure in terms of security, flexibility, scalability, customization, accessibility vs. privacy, ease-of-use and setup, costs and in-house training and implementation.
Get Your Head Out of [in] the Clouds
It’s smart to set some practical business goals and align your choice in cloud deployment models with how much storage space you need, what your budget is for this project, the level of security you need and the level of customization you’ll need to have. With that, let’s get into your options!
Public Cloud
A public cloud is provided on a network for the general public use. Your data is stored on third-party servers, and you have no control over where this infrastructure is located. This model is great for smaller organizations or those who often have fluctuating storage and user requirements, since the cost is based on how much you use the service.
Some Fun Facts About Public Clouds:
Easy Setup: There is no need to buy and store your own hardware. Servers are maintained by the service provider which means that you also won’t have to hire or train anybody to manage them internally.
Affordable: As many public cloud providers offer pay-as-you-go payment structures, you’re only paying for what you need. There’s also no need to pay for extra hardware or software.
Very Scalable: You can scale things such as the amount of storage and number of users you’re paying for as your needs change over time.
Low Security: Since users have no way of knowing for sure where their data is kept and who has access to it, it’s not the best option for those for which privacy is a major concern.
24/7 Uptime: A public cloud gives you constant availability of your infrastructure and improved operation time.
Public cloud models are pretty popular. In fact, you’ve probably heard of a few – Microsoft Azure, Amazon Elastic Computer Cloud or Google App Engine, just to name a few. While they might not be the best choice for highly sensitive or critical data, they can be a great option for webmail, your web apps or other not-so-sensitive data.
Private Cloud
Much like the name suggests, a private cloud is the perfect opposite of a public cloud. Instead of a group of public users paying for a cloud service, only one specific company owns a private cloud. It should come as no surprise that this is the priciest of the cloud deployment models, but the cost does come with added security and customization. Private clouds can be hosted either internally or externally, but regardless of your decision to invest in hardware or not, you will need some IT expertise to get you started.
Some fun facts about Private Clouds:
Lots of Privacy: You have a high degree of control over your data since you’re the only one using it. You can even keep your servers on site for added protection if you need to.
Autonomous: Your infrastructure is developed and maintained on a private network. You control accessibility, storage capacity, upkeep and security demands.
Bespoke: You have much more flexibility into the software and hardware that is implemented. This gives you more opportunities to customize your infrastructure to meet your business objectives.
Scalable: Private clouds are an excellent option for companies with unique or changing requirements. You’re able to safeguard operational data while responding to changes in your environment quickly.
Expensive: If you want to implement a private cloud deployment model, be prepared with a big budget. You’ll need to foot the bill for software, hardware – in many cases – and hiring or training staff to manage your infrastructure.
Community Cloud
Community clouds belong to a group of similar organizations such as government agencies, banks, hospitals or enterprises working on joint projects. Every entity who is a part of the community shares the infrastructure and related resources. This model is a nice compromise between meeting specific requirements such as security and performance of a particular industry while avoiding shouldering the expenses of a private cloud alone.
Fun facts about community clouds:
Aids in Collaboration: Community clouds are a wonderful solution for organizations working on projects together. With all work and activity happening in a central location, project development and management becomes more seamless.
Shared Costs: Companies form community clouds for the same reason you have roommates when you’re in your 20s – everyone is sharing the cost of operations and maintenance, making it more affordable for everyone. The downsides of having roommates also exist, though. A community cloud has a fixed amount of storage and bandwidth capacity shared amongst all parties that you must contend with.
If you are in a situation where you have the benefit of other organizations with the same privacy, security and performance standards who want to invest in cloud solutions, a community cloud can be a serendipitous option. You should consider where they’ll be hosted, though; data can be kept in servers internally or those managed by a third-party.
Hybrid Cloud
If no option seems a perfect fit for you, a hybrid cloud deployment model combines the best aspects of other cloud models. You can mix and match to best meet your requirements. For instance, you keep sensitive data securely stored on your private cloud, but you use a public cloud to store web apps or interact with customers. You could incorporate community cloud infrastructure into the mix to make things really interesting.
Fun facts about hybrid clouds:
Very flexible: Hybrid cloud deployment models are very versatile, allowing you to balance your workload across multiple cloud infrastructures and servers. However, you must be able to separate data and differentiate between the things you need to keep close at hand and the more sensitive information you need to keep on lockdown.
Selectively Secure: You’ll be able to keep strategically important assets safe while still keeping low-risk assets more accessible for users. You’ll also only have to pay for top notch security when you need it.
Incredibly Scalable: If you have the expertise to set it up and manage it, a hybrid cloud could be the most cost-effective and efficient way to modernize and deploy your systems.
Portability: Because workloads can move between your private and public clouds, this approach makes data and apps more portable.
What’s Your Path to System Modernization?
Many organizations and enterprises understand that their decades old systems are due for an upgrade, but deciding how you should configure this new modern environment can be overwhelming. With several decades of experience under our belts – not to mention a talented dev team – Vice Software has all the expertise you need to help guide you through this process.
We’ll help you develop and implement a strategy to restore usability, reduce operations costs, increase flexibility and enable cross-platform functionality. Our engineers will carefully evaluate your existing assets, update and create modern architecture and help you migrate and deploy your data. Our team of experts and consultants work closely with our clients, monitoring their team to establish their business goals and how to best accomplish them. Whether you need a total rebuild or just help moving to a cloud-based environment, you can be confident we will give you the best advice possible.
By investing in modern infrastructure and tools, we help you keep the value with your business instead of individual employees familiar with operating on outdated systems. Each project is a unique case and calls for unique solutions. So, if you think it’s time to partner with the experts, contact Vice Software today. You can get started by getting a quote and telling us about your project!